


Handle With Care

by Bubonicc



Series: Wrecker Babies AU [2]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Caretaking, Wrecker Babies AU, Young Parent Wing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-15
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2018-07-19 17:00:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7370203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bubonicc/pseuds/Bubonicc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wing feels like something is missing and he isn't sure how to fill the void. That is until one night the answer drops down to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"You seem distracted tonight." Wing's gaze had been locked upwards onto the night sky, his optics drifting from one twinkling star to the next. He looked down into an energon glass he had been holding, swirling it and watching the liquid inside swirl around.

        "I have had a lot on my mind." Wing took a long sip from his glass, licking his lips, he took a deep breath. He looked back up at the sky, watching the stars flicker one by one, doing his best to avoid Axe's penetrating gaze.

        It hadn't been uncommon for the two of them to frequently meet on warm nights to chat and share sweet energon. They would stargaze, joke together, and often just sit and relax after long shifts guarding the city.

        Wing had been sitting on the edge of the roof, his legs dangling over while Axe lay half on his side, his legs also dangling over the building.

        "Anything in particular, something I can help with perhaps?" Axe set his glass down, just watching Wing shake his head and look back up at the sky. Axe followed his gaze to a particularly bright star, marveling at it for a moment before looking back down to Wing.

        "I'm not exactly sure what I have been feeling can be all together helped. It's this strange emptiness, like some sort of lack of purpose." Wing paused when Axe sat up, fully listening to him.

        "You have the city, protecting it is a purpose." He saw Wing's optics dim.

        "What are we protecting it from other than ourselves? There has been no threat directed at the city since it was built. You don't feel like you're wasting the days away patrolling walls that do not need your protection. You could be out there-" Wing gestured to the stars, " actually protecting people who need it." It hadn't been a secret that Wing often snuck off planet to save slaves. In fact Axe had often covered shifts for him so Dai Atlas wouldn't notice his absence.

        "You're spark is in the right place Wing, but I'm content here not being a faction’s cannon fodder. I like a good fight, but that's what I have you for." Trying to lighten the mood, Axe lightly punched Wing's side, but Wing just let his armor sag.

        "It's not that I don't love it here, I do, but I feel as though I could be doing more. Helping more, saving someone, and making life for others better rather than hiding behind these walls. What's the point of this _Utopia_ if we can't share it with others?" Saving slaves had provided some purpose at first, some sense of fulfillment that he was contributing to a better universe, but lately it had been quiet, and all Wing had been left with were his thoughts. "I just want to do more."

        "I know you do." Resting his hand on Wing's shoulder, Axe squeezed, trying to comfort the Knight. He wasn’t exactly sure what to say, Wing had always been different, opposed to being cut off from the rest of the universe but was obedient enough to tolerate it. "I think you just need to find a calling, something to keep you busy. Perhaps... pottery?" Axe was elbowed and he chuckled.

        Wing smiled at him, managing a small smile before he looked back up at the sky and squinted. His smile vanished and he stood up, confusing Axe at first and drawing his attention to the sky.

        "What the hell?" Wing mumbled as his optics locked on the star in the sky that had been oddly bright, not growing uncharacteristically brighter.

        As it drew near flames could be seen, and bits of, whatever it was, breaking off and scattering across the sky.

        "Meteor? A ship?!" Axe was on his feet now, watching as whatever it was project across the sky.

        "Too small to be either of those-" Wing's optics rotated, his internal HUD trying to calculate the trajectory and impact point. "It's going to hit a few miles outside the City-" He pointed as the object falling from the sky vanished over the hills, impacting the ground with a muffled crash.

        Upon impact, there was no explosion, but a generous amount of smoke billowed from the location it had crashed.

        "I'm going to check it out." Wing stepped forwards, his frame jerking when Axe caught his arm. He squeezed, giving the Knight a worried look.

        "It could be trouble. You shouldn't go alone." He let Wing's arm go, and the two faced one another.

        "If it is someone, I'll distract them while you bring the scouts. It should give us enough time to lead anybody in the opposite direction of the City if there is trouble. I'll be fine." He could tell by the look on Axe's face that he didn't completely agree, but he nodded regardless.

        Turning his back to Axe, Wing stepped off the edge of the building, falling a few feet and transformed in mid air.

        He continued to dive, his thrusters lighting to life and thrusting him upwards in the direction of the impact zone.

 

* * *

 

Wing's feet connected to the ground harshly, causing him to slide a few feet and come to a stop in front of the crash site. Metal fragments littered the area; bushes that had not been torn out of the ground from whatever had crashed were on fire.

        The ground had a scar from the impact, and at the end of it lie what had touched down, smoke billowing around it.

        As he had first thought, it wasn't a ship, at least not the entire thing. If he had to guess, it looked more like an escape pod, small and sort of round. There had been little outer armor left on the pod, as most of it had probably broken off while entering the atmosphere and had rained down in the surrounding area, scorching hot and still bright red.  

        Wing looked around, his finials twitching forward as he tried to listen for any kind of strange noise, but there was nothing except the soft crackling of the fire around him.

        Keeping one hand on the hilt of his sword, Wing stepped forwards, keeping one foot in front of the other to keep his steps as quiet as possible.

        As he drew near, he paused, looking the pod over with a critical eye.

        The glass shield was down; suggesting that who or whatever was inside the pod was _still_ inside the pod.  The glass had been shattered, webbing across the entirety of it and making it difficult for Wing to see what was inside.  

        He stood inches from it now, leaning over to try and see inside but seeing nothing but a faint blue glow.

        He stood up straight, looked around again as if he expected someone to ambush him, and then looked back down at the pod.

        When he grabbed the lip of the hatch, he hadn't expected it to open as easily as it did when he tugged on it. The hatch, with a hiss, rose without him having to guide it, and his golden optics brightened at what he saw inside.

        _A Sparkling?_

        Inside the pod, sealed in what he could only imagine was some sort of stasis bubble, was a small sparkling. It was on its back, little optics offline as it seemed to slumber peacefully, having been ignorant to the crash it had endured.

        As Wing looked it over, he was startled when the bubble it was sealed in suddenly popped, leaving the sparkling exposed to him.

        Its pale cheeks glowed a slight orange as the fires outside illuminated the inside of the pod. It looked so at peace, so calm and helpless. Its little arms were tucked against its chest, its hands curled into fists.

        It was unmoving.

        Panic suddenly flooded Wing' s systems as he reached in with one hand, pressing his fingers to the side of the sparkling’s cheek and hovering his thumb under its little nose.

        He sighed in relief when he could feel warm little bursts of hot air escaping its little nostrils. Good, it was still alive, and for the most part the bubble it had been protected in left it unscathed during the crash.

        Cupping its cheek, Wing just stared down at it, marveling the little thing. It was so surreal; he had known about sparklings, read about them and seen pictures of them, but had never actually _seen_ one in person. New Crystal City had been constructed by bots already in the peak of their adult life, and with no way to generate new sparks on this planet, new life had never existed.

        The sparkling shifted, and Wing's optics caught something flash by the side of its head. Only then did he notice it was wearing some sort of necklace.

        Gently, Wing reached down between the sparkling's head and shoulder, picking up what was attached to the string and lifting it into sight.

        His optics dimmed as he was met with the face of a Decepticon badge, shiny and new. He flipped it in his palm, seeing something engraved on the back.

        _Deadlock._

        Was that its name? Wing had to wonder as he flipped the badge back over in his hand. He glanced at the menacing purple face, then down at the sweet little one inside of the pod.

        "Who could just... put you here and leave you to float in space?" It seemed terribly cruel to send a sparkling off in a pod on its own. From what he could see the pod was big enough to fit at least two bots, so why not send a guardian with it? Would the Decepticons even worry themselves with trying to find the little thing? It seemed extremely unlikely. It was still so young, it couldn't fight, and it probably didn't even know what its alt mode was yet. They probably wouldn't even mourn the loss.

        Carefully, Wing reached into the pod, scooping up the sparkling and holding it firmly against his chest. He looked down at it, smiling as its little cheek was resting against his shoulder and its little hands seemed to instinctively seep into his seams and hang on.

        His spark suddenly throbbed in his chest, and he felt something wash over his frame that he wasn't sure he could rightly identify. Something was telling him he had to protect this little thing, keep it safe from harm. It was going to be his job to guide it, show it the way, and let it make its own choices when it was ready. Until then it was up to him.

        "You're okay." Wing's voice was barely a whisper as he stroked the sparkling’s nub like finials. "You're safe." He cuddled it, his spark fluttering again. "I'll protect you." Carefully, Wing pulled the necklace from the little thing’s neck, holding it in his free hand and giving it one last look. "Everything will be okay." He tossed the badge back inside of the pod and turned his back to it, walking out of the crater the pod had created.

        Looking up at the starry night, Wing closed his optics and took in a deep breath through his nose.  

        "Thank you for this." He wasn't exactly sure he should be thanking anybody, but something about this little thing was filling him with new life.

        Taking a few careful steps forwards, Wing transformed, resting the sparkling safely inside of his cockpit as he slowly rose into the air.

        His thrusters engaged, though this time they were gentle, making the ride for his precious cargo back to the city as smooth as possible.

 

* * *

 

Axe came down for a hard landing on Wing's balcony, seeing him through the glass standing in the living room with his back to him.

        "Wing?" Axe stepped forwards, sliding the glass door open and stepping into the home. "Why did you leave the crash site? I thought you would have stayed until the team had gotten there." He stepped closer, Wing still keeping his back to him. "The pod was empty, but you're never going to believe what we found inside of-" Intake running dry as Wing turned around to face him, Axe's optics locked onto the sparkling being cradled in the Knight's arms.

        "His name is Drift." Wing was rubbing the tip of one of Drift's finials. The sparkling was still asleep; perhaps it would be for a while as the stasis wore off from the bubble it had been in.

        "Wing-" Axe turned as Wing brushed by him, standing by the glass window and looking out over the city. "Wing, you can't keep that thing."

        "His name is Drift." Wing said again, bringing the sparkling up to his cheek and cuddling it.

        "Wing it had a-"

        "A Decepticon badge, I know, I saw it. It was wearing it, I took it off." He turned to face Axe, his expression serious. "It's not a Decepticon. Look at it, it's just a sparkling. Are you honestly afraid of it because it had a badge around its neck?" He saw Axe shift from heel to heel and then rub at the back of his neck.

        "What if it does know?" Axe pushed, seeing Wing shrug it off and ignore him.

        "I don't think he knows what he is. I think he is just a sparkling. A sparkling that I am going to protect with my life and raise myself." His armor flared out, the thought of raising this little creature filled him with joy.

        "Dai Atlas... Dai Atlas will be _furious_ that you brought him here. He is already expecting a report and I already had mine sent that the pod was empty but the badge was there. He is expecting a body, _something_. You can't hide this from him."

        "I don't intend to hide him from Atlas. Tomorrow morning I will take him and show him. Regardless I am keeping him. He needs somebody, look at him-" Wing turned back to face Axe, holding Drift out to him. "Please, just keep quiet about him until then. I don't want Atlas poking at the poor thing. I want him to have a chance." He was tired, and Axe could see it on his face. He didn't have the energy tonight to fight with Atlas, he needed to rest, needed time to think of a plan to keep this little thing.

        Drift shifted and yawned in Wing’s hands, fussing a bit until the Knight brought him back close against his frame. Immediately, Drift settled.

        "Wing, I don't know about this." Axe watched Wing bring Drift up to his shoulder, rubbing its little back and purring. He looked so happy, the distracted and lost look he had earlier was gone now.   

        Sighing, Axe let his frame sag and he nodded slowly.

        "Fine, but only for tonight," Axe felt his spark flutter in his chest when Wing smiled at him. "But only for tonight. I won't tell, but if they catch you with this thing, I had nothing to do with it. I didn't know about it. I already wrote in my report you got there before me so Atlas will be expecting answers soon. Don't wait." Setting his hand on Wing's free shoulder, Axe squeezed again and looked down at the two of them.

        It was going to be a long night.


	2. Chapter 2

He stood outside of the balcony for what felt like hours, just holding onto the handle and ignoring the early morning’s chill.

           He had come to dread the sun rising, as with it he was sure would come a very complicated day. Sure this could be all Wing’s problem, but leaving him to face Dai Atlas alone didn’t seem right.

           Rubbing his face with his free hand and pinching the bridge of his nose for only a moment, Axe slid the glass door open and stepped inside of the apartment. Upon sliding the door shut, a soft voice could be heard greeting him from behind.

           “Good morning.” Wing spoke up softly from behind the massive mech, startling him a bit. There had been no lights on, only the soft glow of the rising sun that backlit Axe as he turned around to face the voice. From there he could see Wing's outline a few feet from himself, so he bowed his head to the smaller knight in greeting.

           There, in Wing’s arms was the sparkling, still being cradled close. Rocking him back and forth, Wing looked down at him often, smiling in a way Axe had never seen before. Perhaps genuine, a happiness he had never witnessed on Wing, a true happiness.

           “Did you sleep at all last night? You look utterly exhausted.” He shouldn’t have been surprised when Wing shook his head. His eyes seemed sunken into his head and his platting sagged in a way that suggested he was tired, but he couldn’t look away from the little thing in his arms. As if afraid Drift would vanish from his grasp the moment he looked away, Wing brought the sparkling up so they were touching cheek to cheek.

           “No.” Nuzzling the little bundle, Wing sighed and brought Drift back down in his arms to cradle him. “I want to see him when he wakes up.” Running his thumb across Drift’s smooth cheek, Wing sighed. “He started to move a little bit last night, even yawned. I think he’s reaching the end of his stasis lock.” Sliding one finger into Drift’s little palm, Wing nearly glowed as Drift squeezed it. ”He had the cutest little fangs, you should have seen them. They were so tiny.” Wing's armor flexed and a soft huff of delight escaped him.

           “I’m sure they were cute.” Axe hovered, not doubting the little thing had bright red optics to go with his little fangs to complete his con look. He was certain Wing was probably excited to find out. "It's okay to put him down for a little while, you know? You don't have to always carry him, I'm sure sparklings are durable enough for beds."

           “I just want to make sure that when he wakes up, he isn’t alone.” With a soft smile, Axe let his armor sag, enjoying Wing’s happiness, but silently mourning the fact that later today Drift might be taken from him. Dai Atlas’s word was law here, and if Wing was insubordinate he feared for what might happen to the knight.

           “Wing-” Stepping close so he could set his large hand on Wing’s shoulder, Axe gave the armor a firm squeeze. Immediately he watched as Wing flatted his finials along the sides of his head in response, knowing what was coming.

           “Have you ever seen anything so adorable in all your life?" Pushing his larger finger into Drift's little palm, Wing spread out his little fingers. "I didn't think it was possible to be this small." A grin that melted Axe's spark spread across Wing's face as he watched Drift's squeeze his finger. “Something feels right about holding him.” Bringing Drift back up to his face, he gave the sparkling one more cuddle before turning and looking at the larger knight.

           Axe's wings sagged as he watched those beautiful golden optics glisten. He could tell he wasn't hiding his remorse very well, as Wing just smiled at him and turned his back to him.

           "I know Dai Atlas is waiting for me, isn't he?"

           "Yes." There was a brief moment of silence between them, Wing doing nothing other than staring down at Drift and rubbing one of his little finials.

           "Do you mind if we walk?" It seemed like an odd request at first, considering the Grand Hall could be reached in only a minute or two by flight. It would take at least ten or twenty minutes by foot, but it became obvious Wing had just been burning for time. The longer he got to hold Drift without a fight, the better, and to humor him, Axe agreed.

           "Of course," Moving towards the front door to Wing's apartment, Axe opened it for him and ushered him out. It was alien to take the elevator down to the bottom floor, but as long as Wing was happy, Axe tolerated the tight space.

           Together they stepped outside, and Axe paused when he noticed Wing had stopped, just soaking up the morning sun. It still had been a little chilly out, and to counter the cool breeze, Wing kept Drift tucked against his chest nice and warm.

           "Come on, being late won't put Dai Atlas in any better of a mood." Coxing Wing to follow, Axe took his place by the smaller knight's side as the moved along the sidewalk. It had only taken them a few minutes to reach the center of the city, and from there it had already been bustling with activity.

           As they moved through the marketplace, Axe moved closer to Wing, glaring at those who shot Wing dirty looks. Word had spread fast overnight of what had happened, and the people of the City didn't seem too fond of Wing's decision. As if infected with cosmic rust, the people of New Crystal City moved out of their way as they passed, murmuring to one another of what was to happen.

           Together they paused before the Great Hall, Wing looking up and around it before feeling a firm hand on his shoulder.

           "Are you ready?" Together they looked down at Drift who had his little hands curled into fists against his chest. His face was peaceful and every so often his finials would twitch in response to all the new noises around him. He shifted in Wing's arms, suddenly cuddling closer to his frame, enjoying his warmth.

           "Yes." Together they moved up the stairs towards the massive golden doors.  

 

* * *

 

Standing high on a pedestal along with several other important figureheads that ran New Crystal City, Dai Atlas glared down at Wing the moment he entered the hall.

           Not being allowed to follow Wing into the judgment ring, Axe was forced to wait just behind.

           With his head high, and Drift pressed protectively against his chest, Wing stepped into the ring and got himself into the center. Flapping his finials outwards and making sure he held himself proudly, Wing waited for Dai Atlas to begin.

           "What were you _thinking_." Dai Atlas boomed, his voice reverberating around the hall as he stomped one massive foot in frustration at his knight. His plating ruffled and he fluffed himself up to look as furious with his knight as possible.

           "I was thinking about saving a life." Drift shifted in his arms, and he rubbed the back of the sparkling's head to settle him.

           Above, Dai Atlas threw something down at Wing, and is clanged against the floor, skittering a few feet before bumping into his foot.

           The Decepticon insignia was clear as day, glistening below in the bright light of the hall. The purple vibrant and menacing, and instead of letting it get to him, Wing put his foot over it. Leaning all of his weight down on it, it snapped under his foot and he kicked it aside.

           "A life better left _unsaved._ " Scowling, Dai Atlas watched Wing look up from the insignia and continue to stare him down. "Did you ever once stop to think the Decepticons will come looking for him? Do you realize how much danger you have put this city and its people in by taking him from that pod? Do you, Wing?"

           "He's not a Decepticon, he's just a child. Why can't you see past that?"

           "Was that not in the pod with him?" Pointing at the insignia, Dai Atlas stomped his foot impatiently. "He is one of them, and he needs to be returned from where he came from before any unwanted attention is brought to this city."

           "He's a _child_ ! He could have been in stasis lock the moment his spark developed and he started to form. He might not know where he came from, and he has a right to choose when he wants!" He could see the disgusted look on Dai Atlas' face remain and the soft murmurs from the surrounding judges as well. "You can't just make him guilty by association based off a piece of metal around his neck. He has _nothing_ to do with the war; he's not just some little pawn." Holding Drift out to the judges, he heard some of them scoff. Shooting them foul looks, he returned Drift against his chest, rocking him protectively.  

           Behind Axe teetered back and forth nervously, watching each judge closely to see what they might think. Some seemed to have soft expressions sympathizing with Wing while others clearly shared Dai Atlas' argument.

           "So you would rather put him back into a damaged pod and jettison him off into space like scrap metal? What if those who sent him out never find him and he is left alone to float through space until his stasis either runs out or something else destroys the pod? What if he wakes up and he is all alone, starving to death because of _you_ . You're condemning him to death if you send him back out there, Dai Atlas, _please._ " Wing nearly begged while stepping closer to the large podium Dai Atlas was standing on. "I can raise him right, I know I can. Just give me a chance, please, he deserves it." Bringing Drift's little cheek up to his own, Wing nuzzled the child, chirping to it as it shifted against him and yawned.

           "Wing," Dai Atlas spoke, but paused when Wing stomped his own foot and looked up, challenging everybody who stood in his way.

           "If you rule for this child to be sent to its death, I'll be leaving with it. If this is what the colony has evolved into all these years excluded from our own race, then maybe it is better I join them." The room fell silent, and all optics shifted to Dai Atlas.

           Rubbing his hand over his face, Dai Atlas took in a deep breath and sighed. Why must he always be so stubborn? Why couldn't he just see reason?

           "Wing," Dai Atlas spoke after what felt like an eternity, "I see your point, but you must understand the situation. If there is any sign of danger, even the slight suspicion that something or someone might be coming for that-"

           "Drift," Wing interrupted the massive mech, not once backing down.

           "Drift, then he is to be exiled. I will grant you permission to care for him, but only under the premise until I figure out what else to be done with him. He doesn't belong here, and until we find a way to transport him safely, you may care for him." He saw Wing's optics brighten from his high perch.  

           Around him he tried to ignore the council's disapproving chatter. Wing had been one of his best knights, and he couldn't afford to lose him over a thing like this. How much trouble could one little sparkling be anyway? The city was still hidden and the scouts had already removed the pod’s wreckage from the outskirts of the city. They were thorough, even shifting the land around the area to hide the pod’s impact. As far as he was concerned, they were no more in danger than they had been before.

           "You may go." Wing bowed his head and turned on his heels, walking quickly over to a nervous Axe.

 

* * *

 

 

Setting Drift down in a bed that was far too large for his little body, Axe waited by the door. He watched Wing pull the covers off the little thing, tucking him in and then giving his head a fond little stroke. When he retracted his hand, he immediately returned it to Drift's little finial and rubbed it.

           "Wing-"

           "I know, I know, I can't help it." Wing spoke softly, as if he might wake Drift. It was the first time he would have put Drift down since finding him and he was surprised at just how difficult of a task it had been. Leaning down and leaving a little kiss on Drift's cheek, Wing finally moved his way over to Axe.

           The larger mech had his arms crossed as he leaned on the door frame. He had this smile on his face, not his usual jovial smile that he always wore around and greeted everybody with, but the kind of smile only Wing ever had the pleasure to see.

           "What's with that smile?" Wing looked at Axe then turned and looked into the dark room, watching the little lump on the bed rise and fall as Drift breathed.

           "You would make a great carrier, you know that?" Axe watched Wing's cheeks flush for only a moment and his finials suddenly flap in response. He turned his back to Axe only a moment so he could close the door to his room. Making sure to leave it cracked, Wing turned back around and stepped around Axe.

           Following close behind, Wing walked into the kitchen and picked up a kettle from the stove. Pouring himself and Axe hot cups of energon, Wing set the kettle back down and handed Axe his cup.

           "I mean it, you know. You really would make a great carrier." Gingerly they sipped at their energon, Wing not saying anything.

           "I don't know. This isn't the same."

           "Well I know, and I think the kid is lucky he has you now. No better mech I know." Gingerly sipping at his energon, Axe glanced down at Wing who had been staring at him. He stiffened, averting his eyes quickly and tried to ignore his burning cheeks. "Ahu-" He sipped his energon faster, trying to keep his mouth occupied and not blabbering.

           As Wing opened his mouth to say something, there was a soft thump and crash in the next room.

           Simultaneously, Wing and Axe looked in the direction of Drift's room, and then looked at each other.

           "Drift?" Setting his cup down and rushing into his room, Wing pushed the door open and flicked on the light. "Drift?" His optics widened at the empty bed before him. The covers had been tossed aside and where a sparkling should have been was bare. "Drift?!" Rushing to the side of the bed, Wing tossed the covers back and upturned the pillows. "Drift?"

           "Wing-" Axe caught a pillow as Wing tossed it from the bed. "Wing-"

           "Help me look! He has to be here, he couldn't-" Pacing, Wing paused to see Axe pointing to the ground, more specifically, under the bed.

           There hidden and sheltered under the bed, two bright red optics stared up at the two of them. Shrouded, they couldn't see Drift's face, just those wide crimson orbs flicking back and forth between them.

           "Drift-" Wing knelt down, and the optics vanished further under the bed.

           "I don't think he knows that's his name." Kneeling down by Wing, they both tried to look under the bed.

           "Come here little one, no need to be afraid." Wing coaxed, but Drift sank further back until he was squished against the back wall. "It's okay."

           "I think I can reach him." Hunkering down a little lower, Axe flattened himself on the floor and reached under the bed. Palming at the floor, he felt around until something latched onto his hand.

           "PRIMUS!" The entire bed jumped as Axe tried to extract himself from under it. Falling back on his aft, he flailed his hand in the air and finally clasped it in his free hand. "Little devil bit me!"

           "Didn't I mention earlier that he had the cutest little fangs?"

           "Real cute." Nursing the bite marks, Axe glared under the bed at the red optics staring him down.

           "He's just scared." Taking Axe's hand and looking over the little needle point marks, Wing’s frame sagged. Rubbing the area around the bite to sooth the sting, Wing released Axe's hand and returned his attention to under the bed.

           The red optics still stared at them, anxiously flicking back between each of the mechs. He blinked quickly, sinking back into the darkness.

           "I think the two of us are making him nervous." Slowly getting to his feet, Axe brushed himself off. "It's getting late anyway. I should be getting ready for the night's patrol but I don't want to leave you if you need help."

           "I'll be alright." Wing didn't look up.

           "Wing," Axe said, waiting for Wing's attention. When their optics met he felt his intake hitch for a moment, "don't stay up all night again, okay? Try to get some rest."

           "I will, don't worry. I just want to make sure Drift is alright." Accepting the fond hand on his shoulder, Wing reached up and touched it, brushing his fingers over Axe's and watching them slowly slide off.

           With a bow, Axe removed himself from the room to move towards the balcony. From there he jumped, transformed and zipped away, leaving Wing and Drift alone.

           Closing the door to the room, Wing pulled the disheveled blankets off the bed and tossed them on the floor. Tugging over a pillow, he laid down on his side. Facing the bed, he watched Drift from under it, not saying a word, just watching the little sparkling also laying on his belly. Hands tucked under his chin, Drift's optics flickered, sagging tiredly before snapping open every time Wing shifted.

           It was going to be a long night.

          


	3. Chapter 3

He had jumped awake, startled by the simple fact that he had allowed himself to doze off in the first place. Despite having dozed off he hadn't slept well for however long he had been out. Upon shifting in place to try and get a better look at where he was, his little joints creaked, and he whined softly into the wall. At some point during the night he had rolled over, cuddling close to the wall for protection, squishing himself against it even to give that big white mech less chance to grab at him again.            

          At the time it had seemed like an excellent hiding spot, even when found neither Wing nor Axe could reach him without him biting them. Now however, Drift had been regretting his cramped choice as all he wanted to do was get up and stretch. That seemed easy enough, right? Unfortunately it had not been.

          As Drift shifted and tried to roll around, something stiff grazed against his back, startling him. He jumped again and his finals struck the underside of the bed, one getting stuck for a moment before he dipped his head to free it.

          Rolling over onto his belly and sinking himself as far into the floor as possible, Drift's optics searched frantically for the thing he had touched. It had taken only a few seconds for his optics to narrow and rotate on a hand much larger than his own, palm flat on the carpet.

          Spark pounding behind his little chestplate, Drift had expected the hand to lunge and grab him, but instead it just sat there, unmoving. The arm it had been attached to didn't move, nor did the body that connected them all, and only then did Drift process Wing still lying on the floor by the bedside.

          His normally vibrant golden optics were offline, and judging by the soft vents, the Knight was asleep. At some point during the night he must have tried to touch Drift, falling just outside of his reach. Instead of retracting his hand he must have hoped Drift would roll over in his sleep into his grabbing range, but Drift was thankfully a rather calm sleeper.

          Staring at the end for an uncertain amount of time, Drift looked back and forth between it and Wing's calm face. His optics never onlined when Drift scooted a little closer, pausing about an inch from the digits before extending his own little hand.

          Holding his hand up in front of his face, he flipped it from palm side to backside and then looked down at Wing's hand. They matched in color, or at least in the low light Drift had guessed their gray paint jobs were similar. The only thing that stood out to him was the size.

          Hesitantly, Drift allowed his hand to hover over the top of Wing's hand, lowering it a bit until he felt a sudden warm sensation prickle at his palm.

          Wing's EM field was active even in his slumber, projecting nothing but warmth and comfort outwards towards Drift. It unknowingly lulled him, calming the anxious pressure that had swelled behind his chestplate and coaxing his hand further downward.

          Touching his thumb and the tips of two other fingers against the soft armor of Wing's hand, Drift paused, glancing up at Wing's face to see that his optics were still offline. He stared for a few more seconds before he continued to explore.

          Wing's hand was easily three times the size of Drift's, his fingers nothing more than sticks compared to the Knight’s. Not only that but Wing's frame had developed strong knuckle joints, joints that Drift had yet to form, leaving his little hands perfectly smooth and delicate.

          He kept exploring, sliding his little fingers in and out of the spaces between Wing's fingers and tracing the seams along each joint. As he was poking at the tips of Wing's fingers, they suddenly twitched and curled into the carpet. The sudden movement startled Drift, causing him to snap his hand away and tuck it under his little body as he watched Wing shift.

          The larger mech yawned, optics blinking a faint yellow but never really onlining. Instead his hand slowly withdrew out from under the bed to tuck snugly against his own frame. His frame expanded as he took in a deep breath, holding it inside for a few seconds before finally expelling it and settling once more.

          Having squished himself back against the floor defensively, Drift stared Wing down with large alert red orbs. He studied Wing's face, trying to figure out if he was just faking being asleep, but the soft little snore Wing emitted after what felt like an eternity settle the nervous sparkling.

          Joints aching once more, Drift muffled a whine into his forearm. Primus, he needed to move, or at least stand up.

          Licking his lips and glancing to the right, Drift noticed about two feet of space between Wing's head and the wall. It wasn't a lot of room, but Drift had been sure if he was careful he could sneak out of the space and get up without waking Wing up.

          Swallowing hard and looking between Wing and the space, Drift started to crawl forward. Every few inches he would pace, staring Wing's face down and squinting at him to make sure he was still asleep before continuing on his journey. Upon reaching the small opening, Drift's finals wiggled in delight when the space was bigger than he had thought. Having plenty of room to pop out from under the bed, he immediately sat up on his knees and stretched. His armor flexed outward and his finals stood straight up, sagging the moment he relaxed. Boy that felt good.

          Standing on wobbly legs, Drift looked up and all around the room, noticing a bright line of light beaming against the wall. He turned, eyes wandering the far wall until he spotted a set of curtains. Having nearly been drawn fully together, there was a small crack between them allowing sunlight to pour through. Dust particles could be seen floating in and out of the sunlight’s stream, giving the room a rather calm feeling.

        Wing shifted again, and Drift was quick to jump away from him, pressing his back and the palms of his hands against the far wall. Holding his breath, he watched Wing pull the blanket that had sagged over his shoulder back over himself and instantly settle. Again, there was silence, and Drift relaxed. Sagging against the wall, his little optics scanned over the larger mech. Who was he?

        Pushing away from the wall and getting down on his hands and knees, Drift crawled towards the sleeping Knight. He tucked his finals down, keeping low to the floor, pausing an inch from Wing’s head. Lifting his nose, Drift sniffed at one of Wing’s finials. They had reminded him of his own despite the different shape.  If he had remembered correctly even Axe had similar ones, and yet he felt like he didn’t belong here.

        No matter how hard he tried, Wing never registered in his memory, in fact nothing about this place did. Where had he come from, who were these people? Why was he here? Why couldn’t he remember? No matter how hard he tried his memory was blank. The only thing he had been certain of was that he wasn’t supposed to be here.

        Sitting back on his legs, Drift’s finials suddenly perked up as he noticed a door on the opposite side of the room. It was clear by the inch wide gap that it hadn’t been closed all the way, providing him with the opportunity to escape or at the very least explore.

        This time with a little more haste, Drift got onto his hands and knees and crawled towards the door. He placed both little palms against it and pushed, biting his lower lip as it squeaked. He had been thankful Wing didn’t seem to be a light sleeper, and with one more little push the door had been opened wide enough for him to squeeze through.

        Little feet clicked on the hardwood floor as Drift stood and looked in either direction.  To his right there was a larger door, and to his left a short corridor leading into a larger room that was carpeted.

        Turning to his right, Drift examined the door, noting right away that it was significantly more decorated than the door he had just exited from. The handle was thicker and right away he was aware it was the front door to whatever place this was. Good, he had a way out.

        Reaching up for the handle, Drift huffed, realizing right away that the handle was slightly out of reach. The tips of his fingers grazed the underside, and when he stood on the tips of his feet he could grip it ever so slightly. That didn’t matter, as his grip hadn’t been strong enough and his fingers slipped each time, causing the handle to rattle.

        Tapping his little foot impatiently, Drift jumped snagging the handle and hanging off of it. To his dismay, the handle didn’t turn and instead clicked every time he tugged on it. Locked, and the lock bolting the door was above the handle, too far out of his reach even if he jumped.

        Releasing the handle, Drift dropped back down to the floor and kicked the door frame bitterly. Fine, if he couldn’t get out this door there surely had to be another somewhere else, right?

        Wandering back down the hall, Drift paused by Wing’s room, glancing through the door’s crack to make sure Wing was where he had left him. Upon seeing Wing with his back to him still on the floor, he passed the door and advanced into the larger room to the left.         

        The room vibrant, basking in a beautiful pink and orange glow as the rising sun poured out from the massive glass window, lining one whole side of the apartment.

        Right away Drift spotted a large sofa in the center of the room and a coffee table in front of it. On top seemed to rest a few stacks of books, some with page holders popping out, others seeming like they had never been touched. Sitting close by to them was a single white mug half filled with some sort of fluid.

        Leaning over the table, Drift sniffed at the cup, squinting as he couldn’t exactly figure out what was inside of it. Either way it didn’t interest him as much as the pillows on the sofa, which he directed his full attention too next.

        The sofa thankfully hadn’t been too tall for him to get on, and with one jump he crawled up onto a fluffy cushion. Amused by how far he sank into the fabric, a small giggle escaped him. This was nice, and the pillows by the arms of the soda were just as soft.

        Spending an unknown amount of time fluffing the pillows and jumping from cushion to cushion, Drift jumped on the arm of the sofa closest to the large glass window.

        His optics widened and rotated, not sure he was seeing what he was really seeing. Sure the sunrise had been beautiful, but the glint he created off the tips of Crystal city was breathtaking.

        Sliding himself from the sofa’s arm, Drift skipped over to the massive window, pressing his little nose and hands against the unscathed surface. His breath fogged the glass up almost immediately and he sidestepped to get a better view.

        He had to have been miles above the city, as he could barely see the ground. Despite the early hours of the day he could make out jets and cars zipping about below, only a few flying close enough by the apartment for him to register certain color patterns.

        What was this place?

        Completely enthralled, Drift was pulled from his gawking when his tank suddenly rumbled. Hunger registered on his HUD and for the first time since who knows when, he was starving.

        Pushing away from the glass, Drift turned to face the room, immediately spotting a door he had yet to go through.

        There had to be something to eat around here right? That big mech needed to eat too so there had to be _something_ in this place for him to eat.

        Upon entering the new room, Drift spotted cabinets that were low enough for him to get into. Pleased by this fact, he started going through each and every one of them. It was a shame though that nearly all of the cabinets didn’t seem to harbor what he had been looking for. Instead each cabinet had a stack of pots and pans inside and other items Drift was unable to recognize. So far, nothing he could eat.

        It hadn’t taken him more than a few minutes to tear through every cabinet in his reach and again and again each one came up empty. Only when Drift turned around to face the entire kitchen did he notice that the table in the center of the room had a bowl sitting on it. He could barely see what was sitting inside of it, the obvious round top of a fruit perking his interest.

        Unlike the front door, Drift had a chair this time to help him reach his goal. With little effort he slid it out from under the table and climbed on top of it, pleased with himself, at least for the moment. It didn’t take long for him to realize his arms were too short to reach across to the center of the table to where the bowl was. No matter, climbing up onto the table top, Drift crawled to the center and sat, tipping the bowl over immediately.

        Several fruits spilled out, rolling past either side of him and off the edge of the table to land on the floor with a soft thud. At no point had he tried to keep them from rolling away as the one he wanted rolled right into his lap.

        It was larger than his hands and had a decent weight to it as he picked it up. The skin was soft against his palms and from what he could tell it was thin, thin enough he could bite through it. Not only that but it was slightly squishy, whether that was a good thing he wasn’t sure. It didn’t matter, he was hungry and this was edible.

        Pressing the fuzzy fruit to his lips, he rubbed it back and forth, and then opened his mouth to press his little fangs against the tender skin. He tried to bite, but his mouth wasn’t big enough to take a full bite from top to bottom, causing him to withdraw and look at it again. Little indents had been left in the skin from his teeth, but nothing more.

        Bringing it to his mouth again, Drift angled it to try and bite the top rather than the side, and this time his little fangs popped through the skin. Instantly he felt juice flood his mouth, overflowing out and all over his chin and neck. The harder he bit into it the more juice spurt from the fruit until even his little hands were wet and sticky.

        Finals wiggling in delight, Drift munched down on the chunk of fruit he had managed to bite off, unfazed by the mess he had made. Instead, he took another bite, adding to the mess of juices streaming down the front of his chest plate and just enjoying his treat.

        Cheeks stuffed with fruit, Drift chewed and looked out the door into the living room, watching the sun rise further and further into the sky.

 

* * *

 

“Drift?” Optics dimming to life, Wing tried to blink away the grogginess. At first he hadn’t fully processed the bare space under the bed until his vision cleared, and that’s when he realized Drift was gone. “Drift?” He didn’t panic; he didn’t need too considering a part of him had expected this. As much as he wanted Drift to trust him, it just wasn’t going to happen overnight.

        Getting to his feet and ruffling his stiff wings, the Knight picked up and folded the blanket. Tossing it down on the bed, he turned towards the door and stepped into the hall.

        To his right, the front door was shut and the lock was still engaged. At no point did Wing think Drift could get out and wander on his own even if he had reached the lock. The latch had required a security code to fully disengage even when turned all the way. Though from the looks of it, Drift either never touched it for figure out there was no way out this way.

        “Drift?” Heading down the hall, Wing paused before the washroom door. Peeking inside, the room was undisturbed and lacking a sparkling. Stepping back and continuing his way into the living area, Wing immediately noticed the disheveled couch cushions. As if someone was jumping on them, large craters had been left indented into the fabric. Not only that but two of the throw pillows were on the floor. Drift had certainly been in here.

        A rustling sound from the kitchen caused Wing’s final to twitch and he half turned towards the noise. He raised a brow as a fruit rolled past the door and not long after Drift crawled by chasing it.  

        He jumped, catching it in his hands and made a little noise of triumph as he sat down and bit into it. Attention far too occupied on his sweet treat, he had had his back to Wing.

        “There you are,” Wing clasped his hands together, delighted to see Drift up and about, and even happier to see him eating.

        Startled, Drift jumped in place, jerking his head around to see Wing standing only a few feet from him. As far as he knew there was no way out of the kitchen other than the door Wing was currently blocking, meaning he had cornered himself.

        Finials dropping to their lowest point, the fruit was dropped to the floor. Scrambling as fast as he could towards the table, Drift took refuge underneath. Large red orb stared Wing down between the chair’s legs.

        “Oh! Oh no, Drift I’m sorry,” Wing stepped in, crouching down by the fruit that had been dropped, “I didn’t mean to scare you. You’re alright. You’re fine.” His words seemed to do little to settle the sparkling.  “You’re safe.” Taking the fruit in hand, Wing smiled at the little bite mark on one side of it. “Here,” He reached out towards Drift, not quite going under the table as to allow Drift to come out on his own.

        Hiding behind one of the table legs, Drift’s optics zipped from the fruit to Wing’s face, then back down to the fruit. His tank rumbled and he picked at the table leg with little fingers. When Wing wiggled it, he reached out and snatched it from his as fast as he possibly could. Tucking it close to his chest, Drift backed up further under the table and sat, once again munching into the fruit.

        “That’s it,” Wing purred, happy Drift was eating at all, even if he did seem to make a bit of a mess, “Plenty more too if you’re still hungry.” As he spoke, Wing noticed several other fruits scattered about the floor.

        Allowing Drift some space to eat, Wing moved about to collect all the stray fruit from the floor. Placing them in the sink, he started to wash each of them off. Once done he set them on a towel to dry.

        Below, Drift kept crunching into his fruit, ignoring Wing for the most part, at least until the doorbell rang and once again he was startled. This time though he looked up at Wing in question, if he was in here, then _who_ was that?

        “It’s alright,” He cooed, seeing Drift’s worried optics, “It’s probably Axe.” Oh yeah, that big one, they _really_ big one that he had bitten.

        Watching Wing rush from the kitchen and down the hall, Drift took a slow bite of his fruit, one final perking up as to try and hear what they were talking about.

        “Good morning,” Axe bowed his head the moment Wing had opened the door, “I know it’s early but,” He fell silent when Wing raised a hand to him.

        “Come in.” Stepping side to allow the larger mech room to enter, Axe humbly stepped inside.

        “Is he still under the bed?”

        “He’s upgraded to the kitchen table.” Leading Axe through the living room and into the kitchen, they both paused when the underneath of the table was vacant, nothing but the core of the fruit remained. “Hmm,” Wing hummed, turning around in time to see Drift sneaking under the coffee table in the living room. Perhaps it was for the best, at least now Drift wouldn’t feel cramped if they were in there.

        “So how was the night?” Taking his place in one of the chairs by the table, Axe watched Wing head to one of the cabinets and pull out two glasses. “You look tired.”

        “It was as good as it could be I suppose.” Pouring some energon into the glasses, Wing handed Axe one and sat opposite of him. “Sleeping on the floor isn’t always a remedy for restfulness, but I’m alright. As far as I know Drift slept most of the night. He did wake up before me though, managed to sneak by me too.” Gingerly taking a sip of his energon, Wing licked his lips. “I caught him eating this morning.”

        “Were you worried he wouldn’t eat?” Axe watched Wing’s gaze drift over to the living room where the mystery sparkling was currently fluffing up one of the pillows he had tossed on the floor earlier.

        “Yes and no, I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen. I still can’t get very close to him without him looking like I’m going to hurt him, breaks my spark.”

        “What do you plan to do now that he’s up and about?”

        “Well,” Wing sat back, picking at the rim of his glass. “I don’t know if he can read, I suppose I should start with something like that, or in the very least allow him time to adjust.”

        “You really do want to keep him, don’t you?” It had been stated before but Axe still wasn’t sure Wing knew what he was really getting himself into.

        “Yes.”

        “Well, what about getting his optics recalibrated then?” He regretted asking as Wing’s gazed snapped to him. It was a disapproving glare, but it softened after a moment. “What I mean is… if he is going to stay here… shouldn’t he try to fit in a little more. Nobody in the city has _red_ optics, and you and I both know what having red optics means.”

        “It doesn’t _mean_ anything. You don’t think there are autobots with red optics?”

        “Well… yes, but… don’t you think the people will be a little more accepting if you at least changed them to gold, or a blue?” Everybody in New Crystal City had golden optics, Drift being the odd mech out made him even more of a target than he already was. At this point even his bulky frame needed to be changed but Axe already knew not to bring that up.

        “No, I wouldn’t subject him to that. He doesn’t trust me and I don’t want to make it set in stone by doing something like that to him, even if it’s a simple procedure. He deserves to choose for himself. Plus, I don’t even know if he is old enough to transform yet either. I want to… I want to give him a chance to open up to me.”

        “There is nobody more patient for the job than you,” Raising his glass to Wing, Axe tipped his head in his direction and took a long swig. “It’s going to be hard for him adjusting when he is the only sparkling in the city.”

        “I know.” Wing sighed, glancing back out into the living room to see Drift pressing his face against the large window. His finals were standing up in attention, and he jumped every time a jet flew by.

        “Maybe I’ll take him out into the city later. Keeping him cooped up in here isn’t going to do him any good. He seems to like it out there.” He paused, realizing perhaps Drift was interested in freedom rather than the jets. “I just need time.”


	4. Chapter 4

Axe had left roughly an hour after he had arrived. Having shared a single cup of hot energon with Wing, his sole intention for visiting had simply been to check in on him. He had been hesitant to leave Wing alone with Drift the night before; unsure of what a mystery sparkling was capable of. Certainly Wing was more than capable of dealing with a mech only one fourth his size, but still, Axe had worried.  

"You said you were going to head out later today?" Walking by Wing's side, Axe paused just before the front door.

"Yes, I think it will be good for Drift to get some fresh air." Opening the door for Axe and stepping side to let the bulkier mech pass, Wing watched Axe turn to face him.

"You should meet me for lunch later," ruffling his wings a bit and averting his gaze anywhere except Wing's optics, Axe continued, "the usual spot."

"Yes, of course," There it was, that wholesome smile spreading across Wing's face, "that's a great idea!" There had been a particular restaurant the two of them had favored on their nights off from duty. It had hardly been extravagant, in fact it had been a simple little corner coffee shop that often did small lunch servings. It had been a perfect place to sit and relax, chat, and often bond.

"I'll see you then-" Bowing his head slightly to Wing, Axe made his leave.

From there they day had progressed like any other despite Drift now taking up space in Wing's humble little home. The space in which Drift seemed to inhabit the most was the living room, seeming to favor the massive window leading out towards the city. Being several floors up and having a balcony that overlooked the beautiful city, it had been a breathtaking view to anybody who hadn't seen it before.

With his little face and hands pressed against the glass, Drift often looked out, his finials twitching upwards every time a jet zipped by. Now and again Drift would stand on the tips of his little toes, as if it would help him achieve an even better view than the one he already had.

As much as Wing wanted to allow Drift on the balcony for a better view, it was best to keep him inside and safe until Wing trusted him a little more. Despite their being a railing and small wall surrounding the balcony, Wing didn't want to take any chances of Drift accidentally falling over the edge due to his curiosity. For now it was best he got his fill from behind the glass, soon enough he would see the city for himself. Perhaps even one night when Drift trusted him enough, Wing would take him out in his cockpit and fly around the city with him.

The only real issue Wing was interested in solving currently was Drift's need to scurry away from him every time he entered the room. On occasion Drift would be too occupied staring out the window to notice Wing enter the room, but when he turned and spotted him he always ran. Scurrying behind the sofa or under the coffee table, Drift would pin his finials and glare.

Despite this being a tactic to make himself look fierce, there was something so terribly amusing about it. Amusing and cute, but for the most part Wing left Drift be. There had been no point in cornering him and scaring him. If Drift wanted Wing’s attention and company, he would go about getting it when he wanted it, and he did.

Whenever Wing exited a room, there would be a few moments of silence before a sudden shuffling noise could be heard. Soft footsteps would follow and then once again, silence. Wing had attributed that to the fact Drift had crawled from his hiding place and took up his usual spot by the window. After what seemed like ten minutes he would have his fill of the view and start to move around the room. In truth it was more to check up on Wing’s location in the apartment.

        At first he would be subtle in his attempt to locate Wing, simply walking past the door leading into the kitchen and glancing inside when he passed by. Upon spotting Wing he would quickly return to doing something more interesting before the sudden panic of being left alone set in. From there he would then attempt to locate Wing again, and then again, and again. Usually every fifteen to twenty minutes Drift  _ had _ to walk by. 

        It hadn’t been until Wing had sat himself at the kitchen table with a new mug of hot energon that Drift finally stopped walking by for a look. Instead he leaned against the door frame and peered in around the corner. His little finials would be pointed up towards Wing, listening closely to him sip his energon and clear his intake every few minutes. 

        The prolonged silence would often pull Wing from his thoughts, his own finials wiggling at the sides of his head in an attempt to detect little footsteps. When none could be heard he would glance over his shoulder in hopes Drift might just be napping on the sofa, but to his surprise, there he was peeking in on him instead. 

        Pinning his finials upon detection, Drift would sink back behind the wall, his little fingers still visible gripping the door frame. After a few seconds he would peek back, leaning slightly to the left until Wing was once again in sight. 

        For a long time he would just stare, watching Wing scroll through his data pad. Every time Wing cleared his intake or shifted in his seat, Drift would lean back behind the wall, leaving only one final and optics peeking out. Once he knew Wing hadn’t noticed him, he would return to full peeping. 

        Pretending not to notice Drift in hopes he would wander in a bit further, Wing casually continued to sip his energon. Despite being highly amused at how adorable Drift was each time he would hide upon detection, Wing had silently hoped Drift would grow curious enough to enter. 

        Despite Drift hiding behind the door frame, it had been progress. At least he wasn’t still hiding under the bed. It seemed he had a natural curiosity to him, and hopefully with time he wouldn’t feel the need to hide anymore. Then again as far as Wing knew this would was completely new to Drift. Hiding from it until he understood it only made sense. 

        The Holo screen in the living room blinked to life, startling Drift as the sound from whatever had been playing caught him off guard. He turned, his finials standing straight as his attention was drawn to the screen. 

        The screen flickered and the channel changed from the morning news to something a little more entertaining. 

        Cartoons.

        As if he had never seen them before, Drift’s attention had been sucked to the screen, unable to look away as the colorful beings moved about. Their voices were silly and their actions exaggerated, but Drift was perplexed. 

        In the kitchen, Wing watched over his shoulder, smirking as he used his internal HUD to boost the volume slightly on the holo screen. He had figured maybe a bit of light entertainment would at least keep Drift from growing bored of just staring. He hadn’t expected the sparkling to be so enthralled though. 

        Optics round and wide, Drift wandered into the center of the living room, staring up at the holo screen that sat against the far wall. As if he had never seen anything like cartoons before, his finals perked up and wiggled every time a character did something slightly silly on screen. 

        For a good ten minutes he stood there watching until suddenly he realized he could sit, and down he went. With his little legs crossed and his full attention on the screen, he seemed to forget about his need to locate Wing every few minutes. 

        After twenty minutes he got up and went to the sofa, dragging one of the puffy pillows off and tossing it on the floor. From there he laid on it, his little hands under his chin as he watched. Behind him his little feet kicked back and forth lazily, and every few minutes Wing could swear he could hear the softest little giggle. 

        “Drift-” Drift’s finials twitched and he looked towards the kitchen. There in the doorway was Wing, a small plate in his hand and a glass of juice in the other. Upon taking a step into the room, Drift sat up from his spot, suddenly anxious. “No, no, it’s alright.” Wing cooed, not wanting Drift to head for cover under the coffee table. Already he had been doing so well. “You’re alright.” Once Drift seemed to relax, Wing moved a bit closer until he could kneel down in front of Drift. “Here,” Holding out the juice to Drift, Wing noticed the skeptical look. “You know that big peach you ate this morning? Same thing, just drinkable.” Again he coaxed the glass towards Drift who cautiously accepted it. 

        Holding it with both little hands, Drift brought it up to his nose, sniffing it only twice before confirming it was indeed just like the peach he had eaten. Pressing the rim to his lips and lifting his hands, he took a big gulp. One after another he sucked the juice down while Wing set the plate he had been holding down. 

        Three little biscuits had been placed on it, nothing extravagant, just a little snack in case Drift was still hungry. 

        “Drift,” Wing began as Drift finally set the glass down, a foamy pastel pink mustache left on his upper lip, “would you like to go outside with me today?”With his thumb, Wing rubbed some of the juice from Drift’s lips.

        Drift, who had been looking past Wing for most of the conversation continued to watch the holo screen. He had allowed Wing to rub the juice away, and even licked his lips after Wing’s thumb had left. 

“Out into the city?” Wiping the other side of Drift’s mouth, Wing used his free hand to point out the massive window. 

        That seemed to catch Drift’s attention. 

        Optics brightening as he followed Wing’s hand out the window towards the city, Drift watched it glisten. Blinking, he looked back at Wing, his optics hopeful. 

        “Would you like that?” The little nod Drift gave him made his spark surge. It had been the first real response Drift had ever given him that wasn’t some sort of growl and grunt. “Yeah?” Wing smiled, his own finals flapping at the sides of his head in belight. “Wonderful!” Cupping Drift’s cheeks in his hands and squeezing them together until Drift’s lips puckered out, Wing rubbed them until Drift couldn’t help but giggle.

        Grabbing Wing’s hands with his own little ones, Drift tried to pull Wing off, only getting his cute little cheeks smooched further. 

        As far as Wing knew, this might be the first time Drift has ever seen the outside world. Before Wing had pulled him from the pod he had only ever been exposed outside when he was locked in stasis. Whether Drift had been awake before the pod or constructed and placed immediately inside of it, he didn’t know. Then again would it really have mattered? What mattered now was giving Drift the best life possible. The best experiences and the best chance to thrive that Wing could provide him. 

        Letting his hands slide from Drift’s cheeks, Wing sat back and sighed contently.

        “Come on then,” Holding out his hand to Drift, Wing uncurled his fingers, exposing his palm and offering his hand to the sparkling,

        Unsure of what to do, Drift looked at Wing’s open palm, up to him, and then back at his hand. It made no move to grab at him, but instead waited patiently like always.

        Pulling at his own little fingers nervously, Drift slowly lifted his right hand. Bringing it to hover over Wing’s palm, he slowly set it down, spreading out his little fingers over Wing’s hand. It was three times smaller than Wing’s, but three times as adorable. 

        Gently curling his fingers around Drift’s hand, Wing stood. 

 

* * *

 

He had kept it to himself that he had slight anxieties about Drift trying to break away from him the moment they stepped outside into the city. The last thing he wanted was Axe pointing out his doubt that Drift  _ might _ not actually want to be there with him despite the offering of a better life. He didn't need to hear that Drift's origin as a Decepticon would follow him no matter which path in life he took, he wanted to hope for something more.

To his surprise and relief, Drift hadn't pulled away from Wing the moment they stepped from the building and out onto the city's curb. Instead he looked up, his little mouth gaping at the beautiful world around him so wide his little fangs were visible.

Together they had walked out of Wing's suite, hand and hand, and at no point had Drift tried to pull away from him. Even out in the open, their hands remained together, Drift's little fingers even squeezing Wing's hand a bit as he watched a jet zip by above them.

"Wonderful," Wing spoke downward towards Drift who didn't return his look, "isn't it?" Drift finally looked up, blinking a few times before once again looking up for any more jets that might pass by. "Come on little one," Gently tugging Drift's hand, Wing coaxed him to walk alongside of him, "let's get going." At first Drift lagged, wanting nothing more than to continue looking up, but when Wing tugged a second time, he followed.

Due to Wing's long and elegant stride, Drift had to all but trot to keep up with him. It had done little to impede his curiosity and at all times was his head tilted up to soak in every bit of the city as he could.

When jets and seekers were not zipping by to catch his attention, the massive holo screens plastered along the buildings were. Despite them each playing an ad for something he didn't know about or even recognize, he watched them regardless.

His attention was only pulled away from the massive screens when the side of his head and body bumped against something.

Taking a step back and rubbing the side of his face, he looked up at Wing who had abruptly stopped at what looked like an intersection. Patiently he waited for the light across the street to signal them to walk.

It had been out of the ordinary for Wing to talk anywhere far, considering his alt mode. He could have been anywhere and everywhere in the blink of an eye, but with Drift, walking was best. It had been obvious by the clear lack of light gear and turbines that Drift would never and could never be air worthy. Thankfully, New Crystal City hadn't been reserved for seekers only and indeed had a wonderful mix of flight and ground type alt modes. No matter what Drift turned into, he would fit in.

        “Tsk-” Drift’s finials perks up as a mech equal in size to Wing stepped close to them. Much like Wing, the mech’s body was nearly all white with a few accents of blue along their arms and chest. From size alone they seemed intimidating, but it wasn’t until Drift locked optics with them that he felt uneasy.

        They were glaring at him and scrunching their face in disgust. Again they scoffed when Drift blinked his little red optics, confused at the look. Only when they knitted their brows together and fluffed out their armor did he finally step back, afraid. Pressing himself against Wing’s leg for any sort of protection, Drift’s finials sagged in submission. 

        Upon feeling the pressure against his side, Wing looked down at his nervous sparkling and then up at the offender. Still glaring at Drift and even having the nerve to lean in and scare him further had Wing’s plating rising. 

        Ruffling the massive turbines along his shoulders, Wing cleared his intake a bit too audibly. 

        “Can I help you?” Wing’s voice was smooth as always and harbored nothing hostile, but his own golden optics were a different story. Face bare of any emotion, he ruffled his turbines again and the mech leaned away. At all costs they averted his gaze from them, and when the light across the street changed for them to cross, he bolted. 

        “Come on-” Bending down to scoop Drift up and sit him on his forearm, Wing walked across the street with the small crowd that had gathered. He ignored Drift’s confused look at being held and the ongoing glares from the other mechs surrounding him. 

        The glances and dirty looks he could handle, but he could feel his plating rising and heating each time he saw mechs whispering to one another and pointing. Some snickered, others just shook their head at Wing as he had walked by. 

        Leaning against Wing’s chest and looking back over his shoulder, Drift’s finials sagged once more as the people walking behind Wing continued to give him foul looks. 

        “It’s alright Drift.” Rubbing Drift’s back, Wing sighed, “they are not used to visitors, just give them time. They are good people.” That tried to be, but having been secluded and cut off from so much all these years, it wasn’t a surprise they had become hostile towards anything that threatened their comfy way of life.

        “Mm-” Grunting against Wing’s shoulder, Drift sank into him, allowing himself to be carried one block to the next. Ducking his head down each time Wing had to pause at an intersection, Drift felt the jet rub soothing circles against the middle of his back. 

        “Drift, are you hungry?” Coming to a stop in front of a small restaurant, Wing waited for Drift to sit back on his arm. 

        The restaurant was wedged between two buildings but had a lovely little outside sitting area. Already a few mechs had taken a few tables and were enjoying what looked like sweet energon. 

        As Wing walked by them to enter the building, Drift flicked his nose upward, getting a whiff of the lovely smells wafting around the air. Unconsciously his finials wiggled at the prospect of getting something sweet to eat.

        “Wing-” Standing from across the restaurant, Axe waved them down. Once spotted, he pulled out a chair for Wing and sat himself back down.

        “Good evening.” Bowing his head slightly, Axe returned the gesture as Wing placed Drift down in a chair alongside of him. 

        “How was the walk?” Axe asked as he took a lazy sip of his energon, trying to ignore Drift glaring at him. “I already ordered some energon for you, it should be over in a second.” 

        “Thank you,” Sitting himself down and getting comfortable, Wing sighed, “It was alright.”

        “Just alright?” 

        “Some staring and muffled comments, nothing I couldn’t handle.” He knew the moment he mentioned any sort of trouble on the way Axe would worry. The look on his face had faded from content to something more anxious. He tried to hide it, but it had been too late, the curved frown and worried brow had been seen. 

        “You need to be careful.” Axe spoke softly into his energon glass. “I don’t think anybody would do anything to you or Drift but… I’m still worried.” If the whole city was against Drift and made enough noise to throw him out, Dai Atlas would regardless of how much Wing begged.  _ If _ Wing even begged, at this point Axe knew Wing would just leave with Drift… and he didn’t want that. “I just don’t want to see you upset if something happens.”

        “Everything will be fine.” 

        “Here you boys go~” A server chimed out as they coasted around Axe with a tray delicately balanced on their palm. “One for you,” They set down a second glass of energon in front of Axe, “and for you,” Wing thanked the server as they handed him his glass and a plate of small treats, “and one for… uh-” 

        One of Drift’s finals perked up, his head tilting to one side as the server gave him a confused look. Like all the other mechs on the walk to the restaurant, they scrunched their face and gave him an unwanted look. 

        “Eh-hhm-” Both Wing and Axe grunted at the same time. They glared and the server set down the energon in front of Drift. 

        “Enjoy.” 

        Unable to look at Axe right away, Wing could only sigh. He didn’t want to admit that Drift’s vibrant red optics always seemed to deter mechs. He knew Axe was right about them, but it wasn’t fair for Drift, but then again was it right to make him suffer with scoffs and rude comments until he was ready to decide for himself?

        “Don’t worry,” Axe’s deep voice broke Wing away from his thoughts, “They will get used to it in time. It’s only the first day out, right?” It was.

        “I didn’t expect this to be easy.” Putting a few of the energon goodies on a plate for Drift, Wing set it down in front of him. “Though this city does have a lot to offer Drift. I think even with the people being one sided he can still learn a lot here.”

        With his hands, Drift reached out and grabbed the sticky energon chunk. Stuffing it into his mouth, he moved for another, quickly stuffing that too into his mouth until his cheeks swelled outwards.

        “Are table manners on the list of things he will be learning here?” A small chuckle escaped Axe as Drift stuffed even more into his mouth. 

        “Easy Drift, not so much,” Taking a hold of one of Drift’s sticky hands and wiping it off with a napkin on the table, Wing smiled, “use this” Picking up a form and putting it in Drift’s hand, he watched the sparkling inspect it. “Like this.” While holding Drift’s little hand, Wing poked and energon slice for Drift to eat.

        “Has he spoken yet?” Axe asked as he watched Drift try poking energon for himself. 

        “Nothing yet. He makes plenty of little noises but nothing solid yet.” It seemed unlikely that Drift couldn’t speak  _ at all _ . He understood Wing and responded with little grunts, perhaps he just wasn’t comfortable enough to say anything. “Tomorrow I think we will try to get some words out of him. I want him to open up to me on his own time though.” To Axe, that was understandable, but if the city was still so against Drift and his origin, it might not help his case if trouble comes. The sooner they knew where  _ he _ came from, the better.

        It had taken a lot of personal restraint not to voice his full concerns to Wing. The last thing Axe wanted was to push him away, but at the same time protect him from the inevitable. 

        With a soft sigh, Axe just watched Wing, his hands curled under his chin and a massive smile on his face as he watched Drift poke and eat his energon in a much more civil manner. 

        Glancing up for a moment and catching Axe staring, Wing’s smile became softer, more genuine, and Axe felt his cheeks flush. 

        In an attempt to hide his flushed face, Axe took a long swig of his drink, only setting it down after a good twenty seconds. 

        What was he going to do?

 


	5. Chapter 5

Despite Drift having inhaled several small baskets of appetizer energon, lunch had passed by without much event. Axes tame conversations for the most part keeping Wing’s attention until he would turn away to wipe Drift’s face of stray energon. 

        “You know I worry about you.” Watching as Wing licked the tip of a napkin and dabbed at the corner of Drift’s mouth, his shoulders sagged. “I know I have said it before but-” He paused the moment Wing’s mouth arched up in a small smile.

        “I know, but like I have said, I am perfectly capable of handling myself.” He could tell he was frustrating Wing with the constant doubts, just by the way the jet fluttered his wings against his own back. “Plus,” Giving Drift’s cute cheeks a squeeze before releasing the wiggling sparkling, Wing turned to Axe and smiled wider, “I know you’ll protect us if something ever went wrong.”

        Face flushing, Axe looked to the side as if it would help hide his burning cheeks. 

        “I-” The larger mech started before Wing continued speaking. 

        “I know I would if it were you.” 

        “Yes, I… I would…. Lay down my life for you.” The words couldn’t leave his lips fast enough, and he just closed his optics and shook his head, feeling a bit stupid. “You know I would.”

        “And that’s why I’m not worried. I have you, so don’t worry. Everything is fine.” Standing from his place at the table, Wing pulled Drift up and out of his seat with him and set him on the floor. Giving the sparkling’s head a good pat for good measure, he motioned for Drift to follow him. 

        Quick to follow, Axe stood and followed Wing out to the front door and back out into the open city air. They paused on the curb, turning to one another to bid each other farewell.

        “So what are your plans for the rest of the day?” 

        “Well,” Wing started as he looked down at Drift who was standing close to his side. “Drift and I are going to take a walk around the city. I’d like to get him acquainted with the area. One day he is going to be walking around here all on his own.” 

        Pulling away from Wing for a moment, Drift wandered a few steps away from his caretaker. His finials perked up every few minutes, one usually always higher than the other as he listened to whatever had caught his interest. Only when someone he hadn’t recognized passed by him a little too close for comfort did his finals sag back down defensively. 

        Stepping backwards until he bumped back against Wing, Drift’s little hand would search blindly for something to hold onto. Upon grabbing one of Wing’s armored wings, he would hold onto it without looking up at the knight. It had been instinct Drift to retreat to his Carrier for protection if he felt threatened, and since Wing was currently the closest thing to it, he grabbed him. It was a subtle gesture, but the site of it sent Wing’s spark reeling. 

        Upon looking up and away at Drift, Wing frowned when he saw Axe’s skeptical look. It had been poorly disguised, and when Axe noticed Wing could see his doubt, he nearly jumped in place. 

        “Hah,” Shaking his head, Wing reached down and pet the top of Drift’s head, attempting to sooth his nerves, “even after everything I have told you, you still doubt me.” Holding up his hand the moment Axe had stepped forward to say something, he silenced the larger mech. “I know you won’t say it directly.” It had been true, Axe was too much of a sweet spark to just outright tell Wing all of this was a bit crazy. This really wasn’t a game of finder’s keepers, it had real consequences and there were lives on the line if it didn’t work out properly. Except he knew Wing wasn’t stupid, and he knew how hurt WIng must have been thinking that was how Axe felt about him. 

        “Wing,” Flattening the finals along the sides of his head, Axe frowned, “I didn’t-” Again he was silenced when Wing shook his head. 

        “I know you’re worried, and I understand why. I know this is a lot to deal with and it’s new and terrifying because it’s  _ new.  _ Drift is new, and  _ because _ he is new this is why I want this. I want to believe that it’s not just a black and white universe out there. I want… more, and I want Drift to have more than just the hand the universe dealt him. So please, just… understand. I have to believe that when the time comes, Drift will do the right thing.”

        “But what  _ is _ the right thing?” Well, that was the question of the century now wasn’t it? Was there really ever going to be a right way, a right choice, a right path that lead to no regret, no repeat? It was unlikely, and with the unknown so vast the best way to handle it was to just… go.

        “I have the chance to make this child’s life worth living. I get to make him laugh, I get to see him play and grow up to be what he wants without the pressure of past lives weighing on him.” Falling silent for only a moment, Wing rubbed at the tip of one of Drift’s finials. “And if the time should come that he chooses whether he wants a gun or a sword in his hands, at least he will know he has a  _ choice. _ ” With that, Wing took in a deep breath and expanded his armor the moment he let out a long exhale. 

        Drift wasn’t even his- nothing connected them- and yet, he acted as if Drift had been born, crafted, and molded directly from his own spark. It was a terribly awful and redeeming quality about him, his everlasting innocence that Axe himself couldn’t figure out he could preserve so well. 

        Placing a large hand on Wing’s shoulder and squeezing, Axe nodded to him and smiled. 

        “Like I said, the kids have a better shot with you than anybody else in this nightmare of a universe.” Wing’s face softened at that before Axe watched him kneel down to face Drift. 

        Placing his hands on the sides of Drift’s cheeks and squeezing them together until Drift’s face scrunched, Wing let out a small laugh.

        “Everybody may look at him like he is nothing but a con, or that he is nothing but a con already, but look into these optics and tell me you see a killer.” Drift’s optics were rounded red orbs that blinked every few seconds in confusion. Despite the menacing glow, they were soft, curious as a sparkling’s should be. They shifted from looking at Wing to Axe, who just stood there staring at him. 

        Releasing Drift the moment he started to wiggle out of impatience, Wing stood himself up with a small grunt and faced his friend. “If you will excuse us, Drift and I have a lot of ground to cover before sunset.” Bowing his head slightly at Axe, the larger Knight bowed back at him.

        Not moving when Wing turned and started to walk away, Drift looked back and forth between him and Axe. Tilting his head in confusion at the pained expression across Axes face, Drift didn’t quell on it long. Turning tail and rushing towards Wing, Drift reached up with one little hand and hooked it together with Wing’s.

        Surprised by the action, Wing looked down and smiled wide. 

        “Ready to explore?” Pleased with the frantic nod he received, Wing squeezed Drift’s little hand in his own. “Let’s go.”

        Taking one last glance over his shoulder, Drift watched Axe rock back and forth on large feet before finally turning away from them. 

 

* * *

 

In the few hours they had started exploring, they had only managed to get a few blocks into the city, having stopped at every store window Drift found interesting to peer inside, Wing had allowed Drift for the most part to lead the way. Pleased by his curiosity and rather enjoying the way the little sparkling pressed his face up against shop windows, he for the most part just stayed close. 

        By the third hour of their exploring, Drift had started to slow down. At first, Wing had thought it odd, considering they hadn’t really done anything too exhausting, but in all likeliness it was probably Drift’s body still trying to adjust from coming out of stasis. It explained his extreme hunger at least, the need to fuel after such a long pause, and of course the need to rest. It wasn’t anything to be alarmed about, considering it would only take Drift a few days to reach max energy now that he was being cared for. 

        “Would you like me to carry you?” Wing paused on the sidewalk and turned to face his tired little sparkling. 

        Drift looked up, nodding slowly before reaching both of his little hands up at Wing. Immediately he was lifted and set down on Wing’s shoulders.

        With Drift no longer leading the way Wing progressed on his own route. Walking along the sidewalk until a fruit stand was visible only a few paces ahead, Wing made his way towards it. 

        Until Wing had some sort of an idea of what kinds of foods and fuels Drift like, fruits were a good starting point. They were healthy and as far as Wing knew, Drift liked them enough to eat them without having to enforce it. Perhaps later he would try to intro Drift into some other things, but for now these sweet treats were good enough.

        Purchasing a dozen different fruits, Wing placed them in his subspace for safekeeping  and moved on. Hopping from one booth to the next, he purchased small things he might need for the apartment.

        As Wing moved along he paused outside of a bookshop, humming thoughtfully to himself, he entered, exiting only a few minutes later with a small stack of books in his arms.

        Despite the city having no sparklings other than Drift, the stores still had a few low level reading books. Perhaps they were still out of Drift’s literacy range, but Wing had been up for the challenge of teaching Drift. It might not have been important now, but later in life Drift would need to know how to read and write. Most of all, if he were to survive in this city as an outsider, he needed all the help he could get.

        Placing the books into his subspace, Wing felt someone roughly brush by him. Glancing up in time to see someone glaring at him and mumbling something about Drift, Wing only ruffled his armor in response. He wouldn’t let ignorance bother him, but he could fee Drift tighten his grip on his finals in response to the negative aura. He could feel Drift stiffen at times during the walk, often pressing himself closer to the back of Wing’s head when he felt other mech’s staring at him too long. As much as Wing had tried to comfort Drift that he was safe, he knew the sparkling could sense the hostility regardless.

        “It’s alright,” Wing cooed up to Drift, “let’s check the corner stores and then head home for a nap.” Starting to walk towards the block’s corner, Wing’s HUD suddenly flickered to life. 

_         Dai Atlas _

        The message blinked on his HUD for a few seconds as he contemplated opening it or not opening it at all. He could have probably gotten away with not answering right away, but it wasn’t wise to add fuel to the already raging fire that was Dai Atlas. 

        With a soft sigh, Wing commanded the message to open and read it to himself.

_         Meet me. _

        Brief, and with no time, meaning  _ right now _ .

        Closing his internal HUD, Wing turned smoothly on his heels and started towards the city’s center.

        Unaware of the situation, Drift just held on, only occasionally making noises every time a jet zipped over them. When none were present for him to look at, he let his chin come to rest against the top of Wing’s head. Only when they reached the Grand Hall did Drift lift his head back up.

        Optics wide, Drift’s little mouth hung open as he watched the building shimmer. Never before had he seen it while he was awake, and Wing had hoped it had been under better circumstances.

        “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Wing asked, feeling Drift lean back against his shoulders as he tried to get a better look. “Most of the inner city is truly breathtaking.” It was as lovely in broad daylight as it was at night. “Maybe one night I can take you over the city to  _ really  _ see it.” Considering Drift was so entranced by jets, perhaps it would be a good experience for him to fly over it with Wing. “Come on, best not be late.” Pulling Drift from his shoulders and setting him down by his side, Wing offered his hand to the little thing. “Shall we?” 

        Taking Wing’s hand, together they walked up the grand stairway and into the building. To Drift, the outside had been equally as beautiful as the inside, to Wing, he had lost it’s value over time. The halls were dull to him, having lost their meaning a long time ago.

        Large statues of Knights long past lines the walls, each holding sword close to their front. Looking from the statues to Wing, Drift’s finials perked up as he recognized the familiar sword on his back.

        “This way.” Pulling Drift along to a grand set of double doors, they entered into the larger judgment theater. It was empty, strangely, no prying eyes like before had been scrutinizing Wing and a sleeping Drift. The only thing in the center of the room on the judgment floor was Dai Atlas. Arms behind his back, hands clasped tightly together, he waited silently.

        Wing felt Drift’s little hand suddenly tug against his own as he tried to advance into the room. Looking down at the sparkling, he could see Drift’s finials pinned as far back as they could go and the uneasy look painted across his face. 

        “It’s alright,” Wing says softly, but Drift ducks behind his leg for protection from Dai Atlas’ stare anyway, “come.” Gently tugging Drift’s hand, Wing enters the room with him, stepping into the large illuminated circle with Dai Atlas. 

        “So he  _ is _ awake.” The larger mech’s voice booms through the empty room, causing Wing to pause a few steps from the circle.

        “Not for long.” Wing pipes up quickly, watching as Dai Atlas practically stares holes into Drift. “The stasis is still working its way through his system. It’s likely he will be sluggish for a few more days.” Finials twitching when he heard Dai Atla hum in response, Wing stiffened. “Is that why you summoned me here?” The fact Dai Atlas knew Drift was awake in the first place in such a short time had been irritating. Someone had been watching them, or at least word and whispered had really traveled that fast, though it was unlikely. It wouldn’t have surprised Wing if Dai Atlas had someone spying on them. “If you’re worried about me being able to handle this, things are under control and  _ have _ been from the start.”

        “So I have been told.” Taking a step forward and pacing around Wing, Dai Atlas circles only once. “I wanted to see for myself.” Coming to a stop in front of Wing and without missing a beat, Dai Atlas said,” Show him to me.” 

        A simple request, and yet, Wing felt a pit form in his tank at the words. It had been a struggle to not look visibly opposed to it, but Wing just took a deep breath and turned to Drift. who had been clinging close to his leg. 

        Gently placing hand on Drift’s shoulder, Wing guided the sparkling out to stand in front of him. 

        Looking up at Wing and then to Dai Atlas, Drift pulled his little fingers nervously. Automatically, his finials went down, submitting to the larger mech as Dai Atlas loomed over him. Easily a hundred times larger than Drift, he was intimidating by nature. It hadn’t helped the larger mech’s EM field was anything but comforting towards him. 

        “What is your name?” Dai Atlas says after a long silence. His golden optics flaring at Drift when the sparkling looked up at him. Unable to hold eye contact for more than a few seconds, Drift looked over his shoulder at Wing for support. “Well?” The boom of Dai Atlas’ voice startled Drift, causing him to jump in place. 

        Lips parting and quivering as if to say something, Drift quickly averts his gaze from those piercing golden ones. His lips seal shut and he bites his bottom lip, afraid.

        “Where are you from?” Without pause, Dai Atlas continues. “Who is your Carrier?” Each question is met with silence, Drift often opening and closing his mouth, not sure what to say, what could he say? “Do they know where you are?” Voice getting slightly higher and angrier, Dai Atlas stomped his massive foot. The thrum echoed through the theater and Wing ruffled his wings in frustration. 

        “Enough.” The Knight stepped forward but paused when Dai Atlas held up his hand. 

        “Are they coming for you?” When Drift stepped back from Dai Atlas, the larger mech followed him. “Are you  _ hiding _ something from us?” Golden optics flashed at Drift and he stumbled back, tears welling in his eyes as Dai Atlas kept advancing. “What are you hiding? Tell me!” 

        “I said that’s enough!” Stepping over Drift protectively, Wing flared out his wings in warning to his leader. His own golden optics flashed in warning as he challenged the larger mech. “You’re interrogating  a _ child. _ ” There was venom on the edges of Wing’s words as he stepped forward, forcing Dai Atlas to step back and away. “A child.” Unimpressed with the reason he had been summoned here, Wing turned his back towards his leader and scooped Drift up into his arms. Hugging Drift close as the sparkling started to cry into him, Wing started for the door. Just before leaving he paused, glancing over his shoulder at Dai Atlas. “Have you ever considered that he might just be a child and nothing more?”

        “When he starts to speak,” There is a small pause as Dai Atlas takes in a steady breath, “bring him back to me.”

        “Tsk.” Walking past the double doors, Wing hurries down the halls and out of the building as quickly as possible. 

        “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Gently pulling Drift away from his chest to get a look at him, Wing feels his armor sag at Drift’s upset face. Fresh globs of tears roll down his already soaked cheeks, and no matter how quickly Wing tried to thumb them away there were more to replace them. “I’m sorry.” Hugging Drift back against his chest, Wing hurries home.


End file.
